ceon1 siu1 jat1 hak1 zik6 cin1 gam1春宵一刻值千金

Jyutpingceon1 siu1 jat1 hak1 zik6 cin1 gam1

Yalechēun sīu yāt hāk jihk chīn gām

Definition

A beautiful night or spring evening is extremely precious; often used to describe a couple's wedding night.

literarya beautiful night or spring evening is extremely precious
figurativeevery moment of a couple's wedding night is highly valuable

colloquialpeopleother

How it's used

Originally a poetic line describing the beauty of a spring night, this phrase is now almost exclusively used in a humorous or teasing way to refer to a couple's wedding night. It carries a slightly cheeky and suggestive tone when spoken aloud to newlyweds. Using it in a serious or formal context would sound out of place and overly dramatic.

Examples

ceon1春siu1宵jat1一haak1刻zik6值cin1千gam1金，daai6大gaa1家zou2早di1啲jau1休sik1息laa1啦。

Every moment of the wedding night is precious, everyone should get some rest early.

nei5你m4唔hou2好gam3咁sam1心gap1急，ceon1春siu1宵jat1一haak1刻zik6值cin1千gam1金㗎。

Don't be so impatient, every moment of the wedding night is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Common phrases

ceon1春siu1宵jat1一haak1刻

a precious moment of the wedding night

Common mistake

Learners often misunderstand this as a general proverb about valuing time, but it is specifically tied to the context of a wedding night. It is not used to describe being productive at work or valuing one's time during the day.